1 - You have dreams about electricity adapters
2 - You spend 5 hours online searching for the PERFECT passport/travel document wallet and then you poll your friends to pick the best color (I ended up with lime green. Thanks Shawn!)
3 - You are scheduling Outlook calendar meetings with your travel partner for 3 days before you depart and calling it a "Packing Party."
4 - You've made 3 (or was it 4?) trips to REI just to see what else they have on sale that you might need.
5 - You're already planning ways to take very fast showers since there's no hot water - Including trying to convince your hairstylist it's OK to use a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner combo for 2.5 weeks. She shot me down, but I'm still gonna do it. (sorry Rae!)
6 - You try to figure out how to subscribe to your OWN blog
7 - You've thought about starting to pack, but then realized that was just nuts: the plane doesn't leave for 4.5 weeks (see #3 as a way to cope with this one)
8 - You start referring to yourself as Muzungu - the Swahili word for 'white person'
9 - You confirm who is taking you to the airport 6 weeks before you depart. (Thanks Dad!)
10 - Your travel partner says, "Maybe we should just watch a movie to get your mind off this..." (Thanks Travis, it worked!)
I'm sure there are lots of other obsessions my family & friends will be happy to point out...
Friday, February 27, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Learning and Teaching Goes Both Ways
Yesterday Travis and I had our first Skype call with Connie. It was great to be able to see her on the computer screen and interact with a real person, rather than just a voice on the other end of the phone.
We talked for an hour and a half about a variety of things. We learned that "Africa time" is much different than "America time". There people don't worry about being on time or getting things done in a timely manner. They live in the present. It's going to be a learning curve for both of us, because we are both 'planners' and are always thinking about what comes next. It doesn't work that way in Africa.
Connie also told us a little more about the options we have for working/volunteering when we're there. In addition to helping with breakfast and getting the kids at the orphanage off to school each day, we'll have a chance to work in their schools. We'll even help with English as second language for some of the orphanage staff. Basically, anything we can do to help them along each day.
Connie told us that some of the kids are being called 'demons' at school because of their positive HIV status. It's so sad to think of the discrimination that goes on there. It's because of the lack of education - and the witch doctors. So by us simply being there and interacting with the orphans at their schools, we'll be showing the teachers and other kids it's OK to be around people with HIV.
Even women are discriminated against to some extent. Connie told Travis that he'll be setting an example for the boys at the orphanage in the way that he treats me while we're there. Something simple (to us!) as treating me with respect, rather than being domineering will go a long way.
We're going to try our best to lead by example, teach where we can and hope that we're making an impact in some small way...but I have a feeling we're going to learn more from the kids than they will from us.
We talked for an hour and a half about a variety of things. We learned that "Africa time" is much different than "America time". There people don't worry about being on time or getting things done in a timely manner. They live in the present. It's going to be a learning curve for both of us, because we are both 'planners' and are always thinking about what comes next. It doesn't work that way in Africa.
Connie also told us a little more about the options we have for working/volunteering when we're there. In addition to helping with breakfast and getting the kids at the orphanage off to school each day, we'll have a chance to work in their schools. We'll even help with English as second language for some of the orphanage staff. Basically, anything we can do to help them along each day.
Connie told us that some of the kids are being called 'demons' at school because of their positive HIV status. It's so sad to think of the discrimination that goes on there. It's because of the lack of education - and the witch doctors. So by us simply being there and interacting with the orphans at their schools, we'll be showing the teachers and other kids it's OK to be around people with HIV.
Even women are discriminated against to some extent. Connie told Travis that he'll be setting an example for the boys at the orphanage in the way that he treats me while we're there. Something simple (to us!) as treating me with respect, rather than being domineering will go a long way.
We're going to try our best to lead by example, teach where we can and hope that we're making an impact in some small way...but I have a feeling we're going to learn more from the kids than they will from us.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Donating to St. Lucia - Since You Asked
I've gotten a lot of questions about what the children at St. Lucia need and how people can help.
After talking with Connie Naber, the Director of Karama Connection (she fundraises and organizes volunteers for St. Lucia), it's evident that the BEST WAY for anyone to help is to donate online.
I'd love to arrive at St. Lucia with armloads of toys, treats, clothes and medical supplies, but with the extra expense of paying for baggage on flights, it's just not practical. Someone else mentioned shipping supplies before we get there - Connie said shipments only arrive about 50 percent of the time.
It's also best to donate directly to St. Lucia (by donating online) because then your money can be spent on exactly what they need at the time. And as an added bonus - supplies are less expensive in Tanzania and spending there helps their economy. According to the CIA World Factbook, Tanzania is in the bottom ten percent of the world's economies in terms of per capita income. Right now, we all know what it's like for the economy to need a boost.
So if this interests you, please visit the Invest Now section of Karama Connection's website. Please also consider joining the 300 Club, a recurring investment option.
Thank you for asking.
After talking with Connie Naber, the Director of Karama Connection (she fundraises and organizes volunteers for St. Lucia), it's evident that the BEST WAY for anyone to help is to donate online.
I'd love to arrive at St. Lucia with armloads of toys, treats, clothes and medical supplies, but with the extra expense of paying for baggage on flights, it's just not practical. Someone else mentioned shipping supplies before we get there - Connie said shipments only arrive about 50 percent of the time.
It's also best to donate directly to St. Lucia (by donating online) because then your money can be spent on exactly what they need at the time. And as an added bonus - supplies are less expensive in Tanzania and spending there helps their economy. According to the CIA World Factbook, Tanzania is in the bottom ten percent of the world's economies in terms of per capita income. Right now, we all know what it's like for the economy to need a boost.
So if this interests you, please visit the Invest Now section of Karama Connection's website. Please also consider joining the 300 Club, a recurring investment option.
Thank you for asking.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Typhoid, Malaria, Yellow Fever...Oh My!
Travis and I just returned from the Wake County Health Department after our morning of education about world diseases, immunizations and of course - the shots.
I now have four band-aids on my two arms. It didn't hurt too badly, but it sure didn't feel good.
Between the two of us we got six shots, I think. Plus two prescriptions for the oral Typhoid vaccine. Oh, and at least 15 "What You Need to Know" info sheets on the various vaccinations.
We were also given International Certificates of Vaccination to take with us on our trip for proof we've been appropriately inoculated.
Sitting in the room with Linda, the wonderful travel nurse at the Health Dept, it became increasingly evident how much easier this would've all been with Electronic Health Record access to our past medical history. Travis made three phone calls to find out - "Was it Hep A or B that I got in 2006?" I was on the phone last week with my doctor's office from before college (circa 1995) to find out whether I was up to date on Tetanus ("No") and MMR ("Yes").
Now we both have a little yellow PAPER booklet that has these records in it. Hopefully we can find a safe place to keep them until we're able to upload our records into a centralized EHR...I guess now is a good time to start that Google Health Account.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Flights are booked!
After countless hours of scouring every airline website on the Internet in search of the best deal and the shortest route (as if there is a "short" way to travel 7768 miles!) our flights are booked!
We depart Raleigh March 31 at 4:20pm, arriving Kilimanjaro airport in Tanzania on Wednesday, April 1 at 7:45pm. That's over 20 hours of travel time.
The return trip begins Friday, April 17 with arrival in Raleigh on the afternoon of Saturday, April 18.
On both our outbound and inbound flights we connect in Detroit and Amsterdam.
For those of you who like a visual (like me), here's a Google Map with our route highlighted.
View Larger Map
Up next - we roll up our sleeves at the Health Department on Thursday for vaccines!
We depart Raleigh March 31 at 4:20pm, arriving Kilimanjaro airport in Tanzania on Wednesday, April 1 at 7:45pm. That's over 20 hours of travel time.
The return trip begins Friday, April 17 with arrival in Raleigh on the afternoon of Saturday, April 18.
On both our outbound and inbound flights we connect in Detroit and Amsterdam.
For those of you who like a visual (like me), here's a Google Map with our route highlighted.
View Larger Map
Up next - we roll up our sleeves at the Health Department on Thursday for vaccines!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
I won!...Now what?
That's what I was thinking for the first few hours after I heard the news I won this amazing Adventure Experience. To be honest, I'd done just about an hour of research prior to submitting my entry, so I was very far from knowing exactly what I wanted to do and how to make it all happen.
In the 24 hours following the announcement, I think I spent 20 hours on the Internet researching Tanzania and volunteer organizations that travel there. There are A TON of them. It became overwhelming...but I kept thinking, "this is the good kind of overwhelming."
Travis (my friend/travel partner) and I went to the bookstore the day after the announcement and bought the only travel guide for Tanzania we could find. I've read it almost cover to cover in the last few weeks. According to everything I'm reading, Tanzania is "THE AFRICA" people imagine when they think of the desert, the wild animals, the villages, etc.
This trip is going to be amazing.
In the week or so that followed, I began to narrow down the choices of volunteer organizations and even made some phone calls. (Actually- I spent about 5 hours on the phone one day "interviewing" these groups).
That's when things all started to fall into place.
I got an email from Todd Helmink. He's a sales rep in the Channel Sales division of Allscripts. As I was reading his message, I couldn't believe what he was saying: "I just returned from a 2 week volunteer trip to Tanzania at an AIDS orphanage..." After a few days of phone tag, we finally connected.
Todd began telling me about his friend Connie Naber and her volunteer organization Karama Connection; how she helped with the St. Lucia Hospice and Orphanage near Arusha. I felt like I'd just won the jackpot! This is EXACTLY the type of group I wanted to volunteer with. Connie and Todd volunteer out of the kindness of their hearts - and aren't out to make a buck on safaris and other excursions offered by some of the organizations I'd contacted.
St. Lucia was originally founded to provide hospice care to those dying of AIDS. The patients would come to St. Lucia for care during their final days. Many of them brought their children - also infected with HIV. Once the parents were gone, the children were left with no one to care for them. The director of St. Lucia, Winfrida, soon realized the need for an orphanage. That's where Connie stepped in - she helped raise money to fund a new building for the orphanage and a preschool.
When we go to Tanzania, we'll be able to help out in a variety of ways at St. Lucia. We'll help with the orphans. We'll work in the preschool. We'll do laundry. We'll clean the kitchen. We'll go on home visits to check on the patients St. Lucia supports in the surrounding villages. But most of all we'll be helping...in any way, shape or form they need us to for the two weeks we're able to be there.
Have I already mentioned...this trip is going to be amazing!
In the 24 hours following the announcement, I think I spent 20 hours on the Internet researching Tanzania and volunteer organizations that travel there. There are A TON of them. It became overwhelming...but I kept thinking, "this is the good kind of overwhelming."
Travis (my friend/travel partner) and I went to the bookstore the day after the announcement and bought the only travel guide for Tanzania we could find. I've read it almost cover to cover in the last few weeks. According to everything I'm reading, Tanzania is "THE AFRICA" people imagine when they think of the desert, the wild animals, the villages, etc.
This trip is going to be amazing.
In the week or so that followed, I began to narrow down the choices of volunteer organizations and even made some phone calls. (Actually- I spent about 5 hours on the phone one day "interviewing" these groups).
That's when things all started to fall into place.
I got an email from Todd Helmink. He's a sales rep in the Channel Sales division of Allscripts. As I was reading his message, I couldn't believe what he was saying: "I just returned from a 2 week volunteer trip to Tanzania at an AIDS orphanage..." After a few days of phone tag, we finally connected.
Todd began telling me about his friend Connie Naber and her volunteer organization Karama Connection; how she helped with the St. Lucia Hospice and Orphanage near Arusha. I felt like I'd just won the jackpot! This is EXACTLY the type of group I wanted to volunteer with. Connie and Todd volunteer out of the kindness of their hearts - and aren't out to make a buck on safaris and other excursions offered by some of the organizations I'd contacted.
St. Lucia was originally founded to provide hospice care to those dying of AIDS. The patients would come to St. Lucia for care during their final days. Many of them brought their children - also infected with HIV. Once the parents were gone, the children were left with no one to care for them. The director of St. Lucia, Winfrida, soon realized the need for an orphanage. That's where Connie stepped in - she helped raise money to fund a new building for the orphanage and a preschool.
When we go to Tanzania, we'll be able to help out in a variety of ways at St. Lucia. We'll help with the orphans. We'll work in the preschool. We'll do laundry. We'll clean the kitchen. We'll go on home visits to check on the patients St. Lucia supports in the surrounding villages. But most of all we'll be helping...in any way, shape or form they need us to for the two weeks we're able to be there.
Have I already mentioned...this trip is going to be amazing!
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